US810249A - Method of refining copper. - Google Patents

Description

N9. 310,249. MTBNTED MN. 16, me. R. BAGGALEY, c. M. ALLEN w. w. LINDQUIST.' METHOD of REFINING COPPER,

APPLIO-ATIOH FILED JUNE 5, 1905.k

Figa. 2. l

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

WITNESSES WIVFJMTQRS PATENTED JAN. 16, 1906. LEN & E. W. LINDQUIST.

vNo. 8105249.

R. BAGGALEY, G. M. AL

'METHOD AOF REFINING G OPER.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 5, 1905.

INVENTORS RALPH BAGGALEY, OF PTTSBUhG,

PENNSYLVANA, CHARLES M. ALLENQ OF LOLO, MONTANA., AND EDWARD, Vif. LllllQUlST. CHlCA-GO, lLLl- NOIS; Sell) ALLEN AND LNBQU isi? rissrenoss ro slim caseari-Jr.

meri-loo oF essonne oneens;

No. 8lO,249.

Application tiled .Tune 5,

To all whom it 'fn/my concern:

Be it known thatl We, Rami/H Encontrar, of Pittsburg. Allegheny countJ Pennsylvania, A CHARLES M. ALLEN, of Lolo, Lissoula county, Montana, and EDWARD W. Linnours'r, Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, have invented a new-and useful Method of Refining Copper, of which the 'following is Va descriptien, reference heinghad to the accompanying drawro ings, forming part of' this specification, in

Winch-- i Figure l shows an end elevation ci apparatus suitable for the practice ot our ihvention. -Fig. 2 shows side elevation of the apparatus. i 5 Fig. 3 shows in cross-'section a detail of an alr ternative apparatus for practicing our invero.-

..tion. Fig. yeshovvs the iront cap on the apparatus iliustrated in Fig.l 3. Fig. 5 shows7 on a much larger scale, a portion of the windzo box, also two twyers illustrated in Fig. 2

Fig-.6 shows in cross-section the Wind-box one twyer and our preferred form of apparatus for racticing our invention. Fig. 7

i shows a p an view of dampers and one iorm z5 of actuating mechanism tor the same to control the escape of hot gases, as shown at the top of the apparatus in Figs. l 'and2- Fig. 8

shows a sidle view of Fig. 7.

The object oi our invention is to cheapen,

3o simplify, expedite, and reduce to an exact and accurate science the refining of blistercopper. Its object is also to make it possible to rene copper in small. batches'or in comv paratively small batches-such, for instance,

3 5 as may be recovied from a single hessem'erizing `converter charge from time to time `as Work in a smelting plant progresses.

. To this end our invention consists in forey ing sawdust, by means of gas-pressure or air- 40 pressure, underneath a bath of molten blistercopper, using either hydrocarbon gas under l. pressure or compressed air as the propelling mediu Jfor the sawdust. The gas-producing constitients of the sawdust .are thus instantly and au omatically converted inte hydrocarbon or reducing gas through the medium ot the heat of the molten bath.

In present practice the rening of copper -is afmdst intricate, a most uncertai 1, and ex- 5o pensive process. The reining-gases are pio- 'fduced `in the molten copper itseli'and by its 'own hieat solely through. laborious and expensive hand-poling.

' Specification ci Letters SFatent.

A supply of green Patented dan. lgjlQ'OG.

1905. Serial No26393.

hard Wood poles must be prog-lured continu- 'ouslyfor the purpose, and ltifrese must be utilized before the moisture ,dries .out of them. The Work cannot be done successfully with a bath of less thany from eight to the direction of larger baths than that stated. Fifty, one hundred, and even one hundred and nity tons of blister-copper are being treated in the refining-furnace at one time. .it has been found that with. a large bath the heat can be hotter retained than in small ones,

exterior is much less in the former than in the latter. inasmuch as blister-copper is extremely sensitive to its surrounding conditions. and because it always shows a great tendency to chill, the increased heat that thus becomes at one time is of great importance. It Will be apparent that such a large hath necessarily represents a large accumulation of product. Assuming that the ordinary product of a converter charge is four tons, a bath oi'one hundred tons in the reliningurnace Will represent tWenty-ive such` charges from a converter. Even a small bath in the. reiiningfurnace-say of vtwelve tons-Will represent three converter-charges. The net result of these things is that in present practice it is impossible to transfer blister-copper in l,the molten form direct from the converter into 'ot this desired practice it is necessary to store the converter product of many charges, to remelt these in a large rening-furnace with carbonaceous fuel at a heavy expense, and to thereafter hold this great molten bath over a period of lmany hours and sometimes for days While the tedious and expensive means of subjecting the molten bath to the reducing influences oi the hydrocarbon gases. This requires the services of several and Who Work in shifts lof eight hours each.

the fires. .Copper refiners, Who command very high wages, are necessary in applying the green hard -Wood poles to the bath. Other Workmen are required who are engaged f in tapping and in casting the molten copper into plates, slabs, bars, or cathodes. Durten tons. Present practice tends steadily iny possible through handling a very large bath .Furnacemen are necessary for maintaining for the'reason that the proportion of chilling the refining-furnace fory treatment. In lieu hand-poling process is practiced upon it as a glangs of expert Workmen, Who command hig Wagesv IOO also

. the following:

fand Without the expense absorb practically all of the metal contained in successive charges for a Week or for even a longer period. Even if this vast sum be partially recovered when Work is permanently stopped in a furnace it Will be apparent that in the meantime the capital is not available for use in conducting the business. Ideal practice would be to receive the bath in-small volume and in molten form directly from the converter immediately after each charge has been oxidized to the requisite extent, because in this Way each separate converter charge of blister-copper can then be received directly into the refining-furnace and delay of remelting it can be immediately refined and at once thereafter cast into cathodes, plates, or bars, as maybe desired, or shipment. lt is possible to perform .this refining operation 1n the finishing converter itself without transferring it to a special refining-furnace, as hereinafter explained, such as that described in Serial No. 258,152, filed May l, 1905 and which furnace is supplied with the heat of an oil or gas flame to increase or to revulate the temperature of the molten bath. Wlliere a smelter plant is not provided with such a special refining-furnace, We much prefer to do this'work Within the finishing converter, as stated, as there is not enough heat left in the molten copper at this stage of the operation to enable one to transfer it Without producing a .veryheavy skull of congealed copper that must later be remelted in :order to recover its contained values.

The object of our. invention is to make this ideal practice possible and, in short, to admit of the refining of copper in small batches in a smelter plant as quickly as made, continuously, and Without interruption, the same as the bessemerizing or the oxidation of mattes are now carried on in converters. It Will vbe apparent that if this method of refining be Y practiced through the use of our invention it will necessarily be radically different from anything that at present exists in the trade. Among the advantagesthat vWe claim for thisV invention may briefly be enumerated First. The ability to receive a sin le charge of molten copper directly from a converter, to Ihold' this chargeindefiizin nite y at any desired heat, to increase` this heat at will, and in this 'manner to make it possible to-refine a small bath.

Second. To accomplish thorough, cornand exact science.

essemer.

untll poured. l Eleventh. To make it possible to pour and erases plete, and exact refining in a fraction of the time at present required.

Third. To admit of carrying on the refining of copper in small baths and as a practically continuous process exactly as the converting of copper mattes is 110W done.

Fourth. To materially reduce the present costs ofrening.

Fifth. To accomplish the Work practically throughout by means of machinery, thus eliminating the present high-priced skilled labor, that is sometimes paid as much as seven dollars per day of eight hours for each Workman. v

Sixth. To make it possible to subject a bath of molten blister-copper to the reducing infiuences of hydrocarbon gases up to a perfect pitch, or, in other Words, to the exact desired point of refinement, then to instantly stop the reducing action, and thereafter to immediately pour the copper before it can have an opportunity'of changing its pitch through the absorption of oxygen from the atmosphere, as is t e case in all present practice.

Seventh. To eliminate the present enormous metal losses from saturat1on in the end and in the side Walls and in the bottoms of refining-furnaces. v

Eighth. To make it ossible to refine copper automatically by t e use of gas created by the combustion of sawdust in lieu of the present practice* of hand poling Where copper is refined by means of our present invention, the propelling medium being a precreated li neous gas, it may be produced ind of cheap Waste ligneous material, such as sawdust, slabs, and the Waste from any refuse of the forest. These materials may thus be entirely consumed in effective Werk, and the reducing effects on thecopper of this precreated gas are by our present invention supplemented and enormously increased byA IOC los

the delivery of sawdust or similar materials underneath the molten bath.r Vfhere the refining of copperis produced byhand-po'ling, only carefully-selected hard-Wood poles can be used. Only a small portion of each pol@ can be actually consumed in performing ef-- fective Work. These poles must be prov1ded fresh from the forest at frequent intervals,

and they must be used While yet filled with natural moisture; otherwise they 'become useless for the purpose.

Ninth. To change what is'novv lanv ex'` tremely erratic, uncertain, hazardous, and expensive art into a simple, cheap, certain,

TenthfTo make it possible to retain the copper in ,a thoroughly hot liquidcondition several gangs of ski-led workmen, as deto maintain a yflow of the molten metal.

ccngealing of the bath is impossible.

l oftlie sawdust into the wind-box.

"lm-anded in all present practice and as hereinbefore described.

Twelfth. To eliminate the troubles ineident to all present practice from the congcaling of copper at or near the tap-hole of the furnace, where it orten solidiiies to a thickness cf eielit or twelve inches thus often Anecessitating the use" of air-drills or handbars and sledges to punch the tap-ole aid n thev apparatusv sliomi in the drawings the temperature of" the molten bath may lbe maintained as long as desired and throughout the act of pouring to a point where the The pouring-lip in this apparatus is always open, freie, and hot. Consequently the bath cannot solidify upon it, as is the case where tap-y licles are resorted to. During the act of pouring the vessel is tilted by machinery to any desired degree and until after the relined copper has beenv discharged from vthe vessel to the last drop. For this reason so lidificaticn and losses are impossible.

Thirteenth. A saving in. expense over present practice through providing and continuously maintaining aheavy charcoal covering on the molten bath. Qur present in vent-ion, through the delivery of the sawd dust underneath the molten metal, automatically provides and maintains its own carbon covering.

Fourteenth. An increased capacity in a given time. y,

Fifteenth. The ability to refine copper as a continuous operation in a small inexpensive apparatus, whileutilizing waste materials exclusively to prcduc'e the desired result; in lieu of present practice, which involves an enormous investment for a larget furnace, a heavy currentv expense for various gangs of workmen and for fresh green poles, with enormous losses oi capital due to saturation, as described.

Many other advantages may be mentioned that need not here be enumerated.

Referring now to the drawings, 9 in Figs. 1 and 2 shows the body of the vessel, 1() the actuating mechanism, and11 the means for introducing kthe propellin' medium for the sawdust or similar materia 12 in Fig. 2 illustrates the wind-box, 13

the twvers through which. the sawdust isy propelled, and 14 y the oil or gas jets for preieating the vessel and thereafter inaintain ing the heatiof thebath at will desired temperature.

15 illustrates 'flexible tubos for the delivery Hinges cr other metallic tubes may be utilized for this purpose, if preferred, without departing from the spirit of our invention.

16 shows valves to regulate the flow of the sawdust into each twyer-orifice.

and at any 17 illustrates means for temporarily or( permanently removing the sawdust-deliv ery tubes to the wind-boit, if desired for any urpose.

18 illustrates a receptacle into which the sawdust or similar material may be deliv-v ered from above by gravity from the licpper 19 by means'of the car 200i' otherwise.

21 illustrates the pipe through which the pressure cf the ligneousl gas or other prepelling medium is maintained on top of the supply of sawdust in order to facilitate its delivery into thev apparatus. v

22 in Figs. 1, 2, 7, and 8 illustrate the heavy-metal -danipers that partially cover the top of the refining-furnace, so as to enable the 'Operator te control at will the escape of the hot internal gases pcduc'ed by the proc- -ess or supplied by the auxiliary heat-jet 14.

The dampers n22 are' purposely arranged so that there will always be ample space between thenifor pouring'the molten'copper'- after it has been refined.. We prefer to make these dampers for economy of metal, pref-' erably cast-ircn or cast-steel, without lining of any description..

sired form or sizewithout departing'from the As shown in the i s irit of our invention.

rawings, its capacity is sufficient tohold sawdust to refine Atwo converter charges 'of four tons each of blistencopper.

26 in Fig. 3 illustrates an alternative' method cf delivering sawdust into the refining-furnace by inserting thetube 27 throu h the wind-box, as shown. Should this tu e become obstructed, it may be punched, and' thereby reopened, the same as a twyer through the plate illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 at 28.

Fig. scale than that given in Fig.2, a methodof quickly raising or lowering the sawdust-jets 29 (illustrated in cross-section 11i Fig. 6) by means of the hand-wheel and screw 17 illustrated in Fig. 5.

Fig. 6 illustrates our preferred form of delivering sawdust into the vessel. Thel tube -29 ispreferably made of seamless brass, and

it is rovided with a stuffing-box 30 to prevent eakage of thepropelling medium. The

globe-valve 16 admits of an exact regulation ef the-.ilcw .of sawdust into each separate Wirst The 'elastic'or hinged pipe delivery' We have found that if" these be madesuflic'iently heavy they will 5'is intended to illustrate, on a larger medium for sawdust into this jet, as shown at 15, is intended to remain permanently in position. This entire sawdust-delivery apparatus may be removed at will, so that thereafter the relining of copper may be conducted by means of ligneous as alone.

The wind-box, as illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, is preferably provided with a belly or with practice of our present invention in connec-v tion with the method disclosed'in United States Patent No. 746,246, issued December 8, 1903, and in application Serial No. 258,152, filed May 1, 1905, by Ralph Baggaley, for a copper-relining furnace, in each of which a precreated hydrocarbon gas is utilized as the propelling force to drive the sawdust into the molten bath. To this end such precreated gas may be compressed to whatever extent maybefound necessary to produce the desired result. inventions aforesaid, the propelling medium will act in harmony with the sawdust to produce a reducing action alone. Each will therefore supplement and assist the other. We wish, however, to state distinctly that our present invention is not limited to the use of precre'ated hydrocarbon gas as the propelling medium. Air ma be used for this purpose, if properly hand ed, with reat success and with great economy. here air is utilized for the purpose, it may be done in connectionwith any ordinary copper-bessemerizing converter b providing suitable connections to the win `box and by providing apparatus like or similar to that shown in the drawings for the delivery of the requisite supply of sawdust or similar material. Where our present invention, however, is used in connection with an oxidizing or bessemerizing converter in the manner stated and with air under pressure as the propelling lmedium for the sawdust, We much prefer to practice this art in a small iinishing converter, such as that described in vapplication Serial No. 255,869, led April 17, 1905, and to do this at the end of the converting operation'in the s ame vessel without pouring or transfer. When ores and mattes contain important percentages of arsenic, antimony, selenium, tlluriurn, and even a minute percentageof bismuth, the molten copper must be overblowm as it is calledin the trade- When used in connection with the' amate fi. e., it must be submitted to overoxidatibn as a means ofeliminating the last vestigefof reduce the market value of the metal to an l important extent. lt is therefore desirable in bessemerizing copper that -all objection'- able impurities be thoroughly expelled throu 'h the medium of overoxidation and that t e metal thereafter be restored to its proper pitch or temper by the removal of suboxid. The latter may also be absorbed from the atmosphere as well as from the airblast during the treatment of the bath in the furnace. `lt never floats upon the surface, as many impurities do, in the form of a slag or dross. lt becomes an integral part of the metal itself, and the bath that contains it may be perfectly bright and clean, yet such copper must be restored to its proper pitch as a means of restoring its ductility and conductivity and as ameans of yielding its full market value when sold.

The presence of any of the objectionable impurities or the suboxid so impairs the ductility of the metal that it will split into slivers or strips. In this form it is practically useless in the arts, excepting possibly inthe form of ingots for melting in the manufacture of castings. Even then Aits, market value is considerably reduced, and it is not by any means as desirable for this or for an purpose as copper from which these impurities andthis suboxid have been thoroughly eliminated.

When used in connection with an oxidizing-converter and with an'air-blast under ressure as the propelling'medium, the delivery of the sawdust should be commenced some time before the oxidation of the bath -has been completely accomplished. This will result in a simultaneous oxidation and reducing action similar to thatwhich exists in all blast-'furnace work as at present conducted.

It will be noted that in delivering the material'in the granulated or comminuted form y each separate particle of this material will be accompanied by the oxygen in the blast,

which will facilitate the combustion. Attention is also called to the fact that the combustion of each separate particle of this material will produce carbon the same as in a blast-furnace during the combustion of coke. The effect of this carbon will be to materially augment the reducing action. The entrance IOO IIO

of the air-blast into the molten bath will proing materials, and ythis is particularly true of I firs, pines, conferas of all kinds, beech, ma-

ple, &c.,which arethe usual forest growths at or 'near copper-smelting plants. Third. It maybe readily and cheaply dried before using, if preferred; but we prefer to use green sawdust as a means of increasing the. agitation by ebullition. Fourth. Sawdust is capable of being delivered through the twyers without material to the same, and any such wear may be absorbed by lining eachv twyer with a seamless brass tube which may be uickly and cheaply replaced. Any materia of an abrasive .nature-such, for instance, as coaldust-ishighly objectionable for use in practicinglhis art, because its action while pass! is equivalent to a t ou'gh the twyers .Hence the delivery of a single sand-blast.

charge of such material through the twyers may destroy them.

., the mo Fifth. vThe delivery of sawdust or similar material in a granulated or comminuted form is particularlyufavorable for aneven distribution of the hydrocarbon gases quickly and thoroughly throughout the entire volume of ten bath. Where hard-wood poles are used in refining copper, it will be apparent that the-refining action is confined to the immediate contiguous neighborhood inthe bath of the ole, whereas in our present in-4 vention the liydrocarbon--gas-producing material is delivered and distributed evenly and .thorou hly throughout the entire body of the mo ten bath. The action of the entering blast and' sawdusttalso has the effect of continnouslyI revolvingl'lhe molten bath within the vessel, and in t way the granulated or commhuuted -material is evenly and continuously distributed through it, as stated, the net result of this process being the accomplishment of the desired result in a fraction of the time that it is possible to accomplish `the same workby .hand-poling.

Enough sawdust or other similar materialshould be fed into the molten bath where an ,air-blast is used so that the reducing gas producedwill greatly exceed and will thus conquer the oxidizing effects of the propelling medium.l The sawdust when delivered underneath .fthemolten kbath accompanied with am le oxygen to facilitate its combustion will)be forced to rise through the entire body of the bath, and its combustion will have a Qpdistinctly'heating as well as a refining effect on-the copper. This is of great importance to'success, and it may obviate the necessity theA auxiliary heat of a flame. It is process.

hand-poling cannot be successfully practiced' Green poles, and prefv well known that after copperhas reached the grade of blister, and even before that point, the effect of an air-blast alone is chilling, because the oXidiZable or heat-producing elements and compounds are practically eX- hausted. It is common practice during the final stages of the converting process to throw blocks of wood onto the surface of the bath as a means of maintaining its heat until the refningprocess can be carried to completion. The delivery thus of sawdust in large quantitles underneath the molten bath, particularly when accompanied with the requisite volume of oxygen to facilitate its combustion, will be Vdistinctly heating, and this will have the effect of holding the bath under treatment at a high temperature and in a thoroughly liquid condition until after the reduc- .ing gases have -erformed their mission and until the refine 'copper can be poured. This method of refining copper will automatically supply a carbon covering for the bath during treatment, which will have the effect of preventing it from absorbing oxygen, and thus forming a suboxid froml the atmosphere until poured, as hereinbefore described.

rlhe materials utilized in practicing this art may be sawdust or other ligneous material in granulated or comminuted form derived either from hard woods or from the coniferae. The hydroscopic moisture may be first eX- tracted or not, as preferred. The immediate effect 0f the presence of hydroscopic moisture will be chilling, because it is well known in the arts that to eliminate such hydroscopic moisture demands the consumption of a proportionate amount. of heat'. Nevertheless there are arguments in favor of permitting such hydroscopic moisture to remain in the sawdust, assuming that the heat units contained within. the molten bath and produced through the combustion of the sawdust are ample for the purpose. The presence of the hydroscopic moisture will produce steam in the bath and willfacilitate the agitation and the distribution throughout it of the gases the same as results from the use of vgreen hard-wood poles in the present hand-poling lt'is well known that the art of with dry-wood poles. erably green hard-wood poles, are essential to success. Thesteam generated by the heat of the molten bath produces thedesired agitation of the molten copper7 and it aids in distributing the gases. lf desired, we may add to the sawdust which is injected into the bath w'aX, oils, grease, or like material, provided the`same is not addedin such quantities as to clog in the twyers or produce explosive effects in the furnace.

We are aware that in British Patent No'. 6,399 of 1892 a process is described in which paraffin-wax and various volatile oils are utilized as a means of refining copper;` but IOO lIO

such processes cannot be prscticedi'or many Among others mav'j be mentioned the immediate clogging and closing oi the twyers and the wind-box through the chilling effect of Athe blast if naraiiin or any ci' the heavy oils be used- 'he lighter volatile oils cannot be used successfully without the risk ci serious and continuous explosions.

- In our 'udgrnent it is esesential to success that the ydrocarbonets-producing materials 'be in granulats or in comminuted -iiorrnv It is also necessary lthat their physf ical condition shouldbe such vthat they will i .not destroy the twyers `while being driven donot rial that is capable' of accomplishing this reunder ressure into the molten bath.4 lll/'e owof any cheaper or better matea rulecit'costsmoney to dispose of it lGreen hard-wood poles are purchased often at a heavy expense. They accomplish the result slowly, expensively, and imperectly, and a continuous supply must be provided in order to have them ready for use in the green state.

The desired -result through the use of our invention is 1produced thoroughly, -and the work is sirnp n'ied, cheapened, and rendered exact. through the use of a waste product. It is nonex losive, it is rich in hydrocarbon gases, and alter combustion it furnishes automatically suiiicient carbon to constitute the Oxy en-excluding cover to the moltenbath. ter combustion this carbon product will a 'proximate nine per cent. of the amount o' sawdust char ed. 'By reason oi' its physical condition ang its specific' ravity it will naturally rise in. the form of c arcoal to thev surface, and thus iioat on the molten bath, in which condition it automatically provides an ideal carbon covering to exclude oxygen during the treatment cf the bath. Sawdust has sufficient wei ht and volume to admit of its bein success ully pro elled by I means of the airlast into the bo of the heavy molten copper, ,which would be impossiblev Awere paraffin or any of the heavy or Ilighter volatile oils used. lf preferred the hydrocarbon gas producing power ci?, the sawdust or other suitable material maybe greatly increased before use by soaking it in oils, paratin, greases, or the lighter volatile oils without departin from the spirit of our invention; The fun arnental feature that we claim to be broadly new is the introduc-v tion of such material of a non-abrasive char' .acter in a solid though comminuted ferm which admits of its successful delivery un- .derneath the molten hath. Attention is again called to the important point that onliy such hydrocarbon gas producing materia should be used for this purpose which `tact with. the molten bath.

their nature er their physical .condition willcessully. They 'are iniiammable and liable 31'.;

to cause explosions when brought into con.

Wax, paraiiilu, and the heavy oils would socn clog the twyers, the wind-box, andthe air-passages. @n the ether'hand, if coal-'dust or other-gasprofdud ing material cf an' abrasive or ci a partiallyabrasive nature be used the ten cncy'wouiri be a sa like emanan; est soon result in the 'destruction of the appa ratus.v Such has been the effect, for exam.-

ple, of efforts to inject silica into lconverters through the twyers.

Dou-btless many modifications will 'suggest themselves to these skilled in the artin prac ticing this'invention without departingirom its spirit, since-o What we claire is-f l. The method of reilnm* copper which consists in injectinginte a bath ci molten cop er, granulated or commiuuted hydro-- car enges-producing 'material, nonfabram tmc would sive and of such naturethat lit will not melt and clog` in the twyers at the temperature .there present; substantially as described.

2. The niethcd of rening copper which consists in injecting sawdust into a bath ci molten copper; substantially as described.

3. The method' of refining copper which consists in injecting sawdust into a bath ci molten copper ina dessein-er converter after `oxidaticn3 substantially as described.

4. The method ci reiining copper which consists in injecting sawdust into a bath ci molten copper in a Bessemer converter ha fore oxidation is completed and utilizing' air und-er pressure as the propelling -fmediun-f substantially as described.

5. The method of refining copper which consists in injectin with air-pressure intc the molten copper formed, hydrocarbon-gas-producing `mate rial of a non-abrasive land in al granulated er comminuted forni; 4substantially as scribed. i

reo-

efore suboxiil has 'been ,-f

6,. The method of reiining copperrilhich 1= consists in injecting hydrocarbon-gasrcducin material' of a non-abrasive-.lrind, in a granu ated or comminuted form,`into a met ten bath oi blackor blistei` ccp'per'lo .means of an air-blast under stage oi oxidation has een reachedv where appreciable amounts of suboxid lhave been formed in the bath; substantially asscribed.' f ,1

.7; The method voi refining copper, which consists in'injecting sawdust into al molten bath of copper by means of an air-blast, be'm fore 'the com tion. and in t e same vessel inwhichthe ccnvgting action has broughtthefbath ci molressure be' ore .the

letion ci the converting opera Home? F7 ten. @op er to e vpoint ready for re'niug; sub- In testimony whereof We have herent' stunt/ia y as described. set our hands. l f f 8. The method of refining copper, which RALPH BAGGALEY.-

consists in njeetng ntoaJ bath of molten 4 V CHARLES ALLEN.

5 copper, sawdust Whose hydrooafbongas EDWARD'W. LINDQUIST.. producing power has been augmented with Witnesses: f

usbe hydrocarbon; substentialy as de- AZELLE E. OBART,v y

' scribed. WILLIAM M. KIRKPATRIOK.

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